As the conventional mounting structure of a speed reduction device and a brake device of a vehicle, there has been known a mounting structure which mounts a bevel gear mechanism on a rear portion of a vehicle body as a speed reduction device and provides a rear wheel braking device to the bevel gear mechanism and a drive axle which extends to the bevel gear mechanism side from a drive source side. See, for example, JP-A-2003-56607 (JP '607).
As shown, for example, in FIG. 3, FIG. 9 and FIG. 11 of JP '607, a bevel gear mechanism 49 which distributes power to left and right axles 50, 50 by reducing a speed is positioned on a rear portion of a vehicle body, an engine 20 and a variable transmission 21 which is disposed close to the engine 20 are positioned at a center portion of the vehicle body, and the bevel gear mechanism 49 is connected to a rear wheel drive axle 47 which is extended rearward from the variable transmission 21 by way of a connection cylindrical member 56.
The connection cylindrical member 56 mounts a disc rotor 71 which constitutes a rear wheel braking device 70 thereon, while a gear case 51, which includes a bevel gear mechanism 49, is a member which mounts a brake caliper 72 which constitutes the rear wheel braking device 70 thereon by way of a mounting plate 73b. In the drawing, numerals 74, 74 indicate pads which clamp the disc rotor 71 at the time of applying braking to the disc rotor 71.
The mounting plate 73b which supports the above-mentioned brake caliper 72 is configured to extend an arm portion to the outside in the radial direction from an axis side of the connection cylindrical member 56, and mounts the brake caliper 72 on the arm portion. Accordingly, in applying braking to the disc rotor 71 by clamping the disc rotor 71 with pads 74, 74, an external force acts on the distal end side of the mounting plate 73b by way of the brake caliper 72 and hence, a large moment is generated on the mounting plate 73b.
Accordingly, to receive such a moment, it is necessary, for example, to increase a strength of the mounting plate 73b by increasing a plate thickness of the arm portion of the mounting plate 73b or to increase a width of the arm portion in the direction from a front surface to a back surface of this paper thus leading to the large-sizing and the increase of weight of the mounting plate 73b.
Accordingly it is an object of the invention to achieve the reduction of weight and a miniaturization of the mounting structure of a speed reduction device and a brake device.